Meet Alejandra (by Rachael)

Alejandra is undeniably gorgeous.  She’ll be a knockout when she grows up. Her hair, her eyes, her smile—everything about her is beautiful. I tend to focus on her smile.  When she smiles, she looks truly happy, which is amazing considering her story.

Like all the kids, Ale (pronounced ah-lay) has a tragic past.  Unfortunately, her “past” isn’t that far removed from the present.  She came to the Buckner home late last year (2008) after she was taken away from her abusive family.  On days when she’s wearing short sleeves or shorts, you can see the scars on her body from the cigarette burns.

The emotional scars of a sick father and uncle are a little more difficult to see, but they’re there.  When we first met her, she was hesitant to come near us.  She didn’t want  to be held or touched or played with like the other kids.  She didn’t trust us.  Why would she?

On our first day with her, our group took all the kids to Pizza Hut to eat and play.  Ale had never been in a restaurant before.  She probably had never eaten pizza.  She loved going to the bathroom to wash her hands, because in there she discovered the amazing invention that is the hand drier. When was the last time you were amazed by something so simple?

Today, almost a year later, that shy, scared girl is not the girl you see.  Now Ale’s somewhat of a tomboy, which shouldn’t be all that surprising when you consider that her “siblings” are four energetic boys! She likes it when Nate tosses her in the air.  She’s up for running, playing and even pushing if things start to get rough.

What’s more, she is obsessed with her “big brother” Estuardo.  She’s his shadow.  At the zoo, a worn out Estuardo said to us, “Why does she always have to sit by me?  She always wants to follow me around.”

I have no idea what the future holds for  Alejandra.  Unfortunately, her father is still legally in the picture.  In March, Ale had to go to court, and her father was there.  Ale screamed and begged to be able to get away from that “bad, bad man.”

My hope and prayer for Ale is that someday her perception of fathers and men is redeemed, and that God repairs the damage that has been done to her little heart and soul.  I pray that she is able to be a part of a family where men are loving and kind, not destructive and abusive.  In the meantime, I’m thankful for the role those who visit her get to play in her life.  We can help show her that adults can be kind, and that she is a precious little girl who should be cherished, loved, and treasured.

Hey, Hautians! Eat at Beefs!

We interrupt our series of profile posts to ask those of you in the Terre Haute area to join us at the Terre Haute Beef ‘O’ Brady’s this Monday, September 21 anytime between 4 and 8 p.m.   It’s an easy way to help get us back to Guat!  All you have to do is eat!  Beefs will then donate a portion of the night’s proceeds to our October trip.

Speaking of our October trip…did we tell you that our pastor (Scot Longyear) and one of the other leaders at eXchange (Shawn Wallace) will be joining me, Nate, and Jody?  With a group like that, it has potential to be the best trip yet!

 

 

 

Meet Danni (by Nate)

Last August, we had our first encounter with Daniel Manchu. When we met him, he seemed like the rest of the boys at the home: energetic, aggressive, intelligent, and desperate for parents. But right away we noticed that he didn’t look like most Guatemalan boys. His thick black bowl cut hair sat on top of a somewhat Asian looking face. It took a bit of probing to find out that Danni’s different look is due in part to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

We had never heard much about FAS before Danni, and it honestly didn’t make sense to us why he hadn’t been adopted. After all, he was such a cute, cuddly, lovable, healthy-looking five-year-old. Several books and many websites later, we started to realize the impact that alcohol has on fetal development. It is tragically amazing that a mother’s drinking can so severely limit how much a child can grow and develop. However, there is no set limit to what each FAS kid can handle and Danni seemed to be a pretty healthy, normal kindergartner. A doctor in Guatemala even told us that his development looked fine and that he would lead a fairly normal life.

On subsequent trips, we watched for signs that Danni was behind his peers. We got excited when we saw him skipping and jumping, things that are often difficult for FAS kids. He cuddled up and sat still for an hour when I offered to read to him a Spanish comic book, which might be difficult for even non-FAS kids. He attached to us so much in one week that by the end he was crying hysterically when we finally had to return home.

On the other hand, according to his report card, he struggles in the conceptual areas like math. With children who have FAS, this is often a predictor of future trouble with money and finances.  He tends to play more by himself and often reacts somewhat coldly to the other children at the home, preferring to interact with others only when they have something he needs. It’s hard for him to maintain eye contact.  All these are signs of slowed development and more heartaches to come. We have thought many times about Danni’s situation and growth. Would it be best for Danni to be adopted into a U.S. family? Would he have to have supervision for the rest of his life? What will happen to him if he stays in Guatemala?

Nothing is for certain. Danni could grow up to lead a healthy and productive life, finding himself happy in spite of circumstances. Or maybe Danni will struggle throughout his life and never be able to survive and thrive on his own like his peers.  Or, even worse, maybe, because of his lack of understanding of cause and effect, he’ll do something to endanger himself or others. Regardless, what can we do but love on him and pour into him with the hope that maybe things won’t turn out as badly as they could? Maybe in those moments of ridiculous love, God will step in and perform miracles.

Whatever the outcome, it’s worth it to Danni for us to pour ourselves into him and love him unconditionally.  After all, potential shouldn’t decide who gets our love. It certainly didn’t when Christ died to erase our sins. So even though we can’t take away the FAS or bring back his parents, we’ll go on loving him like crazy and praying that God will intercede and give Danni a bright, hopeful, healthy, and happy future.